AQW 25077/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 26/03/2025
Answered On Date: 10/04/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health when the Public Health Agency plans to next run the FAST campaign to highlight the symptoms of stroke, given the successful evaluation of the 2023 campaign.

Answer:

I recognise the success of the Public Health Agency’s FAST campaign in helping people to recognise the signs of having a stroke and promoting the need to call 999 immediately if someone is showing signs of a stroke.

While I would like to be in a position to commit to funding the FAST campaign again, the budgetary pressures imposed on my Department has required a pause on most health-related advertising spend. Consequently, there are no current plans to rerun the FAST campaign.

The Public Health Agency will, however, continue to promote FAST awareness messaging through non-paid for channels including social media platforms and media activity. This includes plans to undertake more comprehensive stroke messaging later this year to coincide with Stroke Awareness Month in May 2025 and World Stroke Day on 29 October 2025.